Valve for leach-rtaimks



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

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Patented September 20, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

ALEXANDER A. STEWART,\OF LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,332, dated September 20, 1904.

i Application led December 2.3, 1903. Serial No. 186,349. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I ALEXANDER A. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lead, in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Valve for Leach-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved automatic valve particularly designed for use in connection with tanks for leaching ores, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and eflicient valve of this character by means of which cyanid solutions, air, lime, gases, and the like may be conveniently and uniformly distributed throughout the contents of the leaching-tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the valve, to thereby regulate the quantity of air or liquid admitted to the tank, and to provide means for automatically closing the valve and preventing the slimes from clogging or otherwise obstructing the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this invention, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a leachingtank, showing my improved automatic valve applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing in dotted lines the position of the valve when open. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the cap or valve and adjusting-collar detached. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the outer tube, showing the arrangement of the discharge-opening. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the cap or Valve and discharge-tube.

The leaching-tank 5, which may be of the ordinary form and construction, is preferably circular in contour, as shown, and resting upon the upper edge of the tank is an octagonal pipe 6, having connected thereto in any suitable manner a supply-pipe 7, through which the cyanid solution, lime, or other agents are admitted to the leaching-tank.

Depending from the octagonal pipe 6 and extending within the tank 5 are a series of pipes 8, to the lower end of each ofwhich is attached one or more valves 9, said valves being preferably arranged iu groups or clusters, as indicated at 1() in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, so as to insure a uniform distribution of the solution throughout the contents of the tank. Air is admitted to the valves 9 through a pipe l1, which extends within the pipes 8, an octagon pipe 6 being connected to an air-compressor or other suitably source of supply through the medium of a pipe 12, the latter being provided With a valve 13, by means of which the quantity of air admitted to the Valves may be controlled` at will.

The valves 9 each comprise an outer tube 14E, threaded on the extension l5 of the liquidsupply pipe 8, said tube having a central opening 16 `formed therein, through which the liquid is discharged. Spaced from the walls of the discharge-opening 16 and slidably mounted therein is an air-discharge tube 17, the cap 18 of which forms a valve which normally closes the opening 16, as shown, so as to prevent the slimes in the tank from entering the valve and clogging or otherwise obstructing the same.

The air-tube 17 is provided with a series of longitudinal grooves 19, which extend Within the cap 18 and through which the air within the cap escapes when the cap or valve is raised from its seat, said tube being also provided with openings or perforations 20, disposed between the grooves 19, through which the air is discharged laterally into the tank. i

The lower end of the tube 17 is threaded in an adjustable sleeve or collar 21, the outer face of which is grooved or channeled. as shown at 22, and provided with laterally-extending pins or lugs 23, which engage the bottom of the tube 14 and limit the opening movement of the cap or valve.

Threaded in the opposite end of the sleeve or collar 21 is a section of pipe o1' tubing 24, the lower end of whichslides within the nipple 25 of the air-pipe 11 and through which air is admittedv to the tube 17.

The walls of the outer tube 14, surrounding the central opening 16, are preferably formed with a series of grooves or notches 26, corresponding in number to the grooves in the adn justable sleeve or collar, so as to permit the ready escape of the solution when the cap or valve is open.

Interposed between the outer tube 14 and the sleeve or collar 21 is a preferably coiled spring 27, which normally closes the cap or valve, as shown. The liquid-supply pipe7 is provided with a suitable valve 28, by means of which the quantity of solution admitted to the valve proper may be regulated at will.

In operation when it is desired to force a quantity of cyanid solution and air through the liquid in the leaching-tank the valve 13 is opened, which causes the air to flow through the pipe 11 to the discharge-tube, lifting the cap or valve and permitting the air to escape through the grooves 19 and perforations 2O to the tank. As the cap or valve is opened the solution passes from the pipe 7 through the grooves in the sleeve or collar and thence through the discharge-opening 16, where it commingles with the air and is forced upwardly through canvas filters, (shown in dotted lines at Q9 in Fig. 1,) and thereby uniformly distributed throughout the contentsof the tank. When the air-pressure is cut off, the spring will automatically seat the cap or valve, and thereby prevent the slimes from entering the valve and injuring the same.

By removing the outer tube the air-discharge` tube may be readily detached and the sleeve or collar quickly adjusted to regulate the quantity of air and solution to be admitted to the tank. It it obvious that as many valves may be used as is found necessary for the uniform distribution of the agents employed and the disposition and arrangement of said valves varied at will.

By having the conducting-pipes and distributing-valve supported in the manner described the same may be readily withdrawn from the tank to facilitate the cleaning of the latter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a distributing-valve, an outer discharge-tube, an inner discharge-tube spaced from the walls of the outer tube, and a valve carried by the inner tube and adapted to normally close the outer tube.

2. In a distributing-valve, a perforated airtube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage,

and a valve carried by the air-tube and controlling both iiuids.

. 3. In a distributing-valve, a perforated airtube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage,

a valve carried by the air-,tube and controlling both fluids, and means for normally closing the valve. v

4. In a distributing-valve, a perforated airtube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage, a valve carried by the air-tube and controlling both fluids, means for normally closing the valve, and means for limiting the opening movement thereof.

5. In a distributing-valve, a perforated airtube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage, a valve carried by the air-tube and controlling both fluids, means for normally closing the valve, and an adjustable sleeve or collar for limiting the opening movement of the valve.

6. In a distributing-valve, a perforated airtube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage, a Valve carried by the air-tube and controlling both fluids, means for normally closing the valve, and a sleeve or collar formed 'with a plurality of longitudinal grooves or channels adjustably secured to the air-tube, said sleeve or collar being provided with lateralpins or lugs adapted to engage the outer tube for limiting the opening movement of the valve.

7. In a distributing-valve, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage and provided with a discharge-opening, a perforated air-tube slidably mounted in said opening, a cap carried by the air-tube and adapted to normally close the liquid-discharge opening, means for limitingI the opening movement of the valve, and means for automatically closing the same.

8. In a distributing-valve, a perforated airtube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage, a cap carried by the air-tube and controlling both fluids, means for limiting the opening movement of the valve, means for automatically closing the same, there being a series of grooves or channels formed in the air-tube forming a source of communication between the cap and the liquid-passage.

9. In a distributing-valve, a discharge-tube IOO having a cap and provided with lateral openings, there being grooves or channels formed in the discharge-tube extending within the cap.

10. In a distributing-valve, an outer tube forming a liquid -passage and provided with a central discharge-opening, a perforated airtube slidably mounted in said opening, a cap carried by the air-tube and adapted to normally close the liquid opening, a grooved sleeve or collar adjustably mounted on the air-tubel and provided with means for limiting the upward movement of said tube, a spring arranged within the outer tube for normally seating the cap, there being a series of grooves formed in the walls surrounding the central discharge-opening. l

11. In a distributing-valve, a perforated air-tube, an outer tube forming a liquid-passage, a valve carried by one end of the airtube and controlling both fluids, a sleeve or IIO collar adjustably secured to the opposite end of said air-tube, means carried by the sleeve or collar for limiting the opening movement of the valve, and means for normally closing 5 said valve.

l2. In a distributing-valve, an outer tube provided With a discharge-orifice, a perforated discharge-tube arranged Within said outer tube and spaced from the Walls thereof, and

D a valve carried by the perforated tube and adapted to normally close the discharge-orice in the outer tube.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALEXANDER A. STEWART.

Witnesses:

J. L. CURRAN, BRUCE C. YATEs. 

